Few days off mate. You all good ?
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@anna_5588, @Deadliftnstill, @simo74 - Thanks for dropping in, folks! Let’s get going.
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Morgan’s PPL/A - w1d1
Sunday - 08 September 2024
Workout: Conditioning, 0730-0815 (45 minutes)
Burpees + KB swings - 32 kg - 2x(25 + 25)
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 20 minutes
Fasted.
We all knew that was going to be miserable, but wow! It’s a start, though, so let’s see where it goes…
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We all need a break at times. Good to see you back on it.
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Good to see you back, genuinely missed you posting
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You’re back!
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Morgan’s PPL/A - w1d2
Monday - 09 September 2024
Workout: Push, 0530-0640 (70 minutes)
Begin: 0545; End: 0635; Duration: 50 minutes
a) Bench - 135x10, 155x8, 175x6 | 195 lbs - 6, 6, 6
b1) DB shoulder press - 20x12, 25x10, 30x8, 35x6, 20x12
b2) DB lateral raise - 10 lbs - 12, 12, 12, 12
c1) Straight bar tricep pushdown - 25 lbs - 12, 12, 12
c2) Single-arm reverse grip pushdown - L/R - 10x5/5 + 5x3/3, 5x5/5 + 0x3/3, 0x8/8
AMRAP - 10 minutes
a) Assault bike - 1 min
b) Dip - 10
c) Push-up - 10
Rounds: 2 + 0
Fasted.
Keeping it light while I find my way… That’s what I’m telling myself, anyway.
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Just good to see you log something, feels like the world is starting to find balance again
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Morgan’s PPL/A - w1d3
Tuesday - 10 September 2024
Workout: Conditioning + abs, 0535-0625 (50 minutes)
The Chief WOD - 5x(3-minute AMRAP, 1-minute rest)
3 power cleans - 95 lbs
6 push-ups
9 air squats
Rounds: 2 + 9 reps, 2 + 9 reps, 2 + 3 reps, 2 + 3 reps, 2 + 3 reps
3 rounds
a) Ab mat crunch - 15
b) Side plank - L - 30 seconds
c) Lying leg raise - 15
d) Side plank - R - 30 seconds
Fasted.
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Morgan’s PPL/A - w1d4
Wednesday - 11 September 2024
Workout: Lower, 0530-0645 (75 minutes)
Begin: 0547; End: 0641; Duration: 52 minutes
a) Hip thrust - 135x12, 145x10, 155x8, 155x8, 155x8
b1) Leg extension - 90 lbs - 8, 8, 8, 8
b2) Sissy squat - BW - 10, 10, 10, 10
c1) BSS - L/R - 2x25 lbs - 8, 8, 8, 8
c2) BSS - L/R - BW - 10, 10, 10, 10
d) Backward sled pull - 8x25 yards uphill - 90 lbs + sled
Fasted.
That’s a lot of quad burn! Did each of the 25-yard sled pulls uphill, with a slow upright push downhill.
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Morgan’s PPL/A - w1d5
Thursday - 12 September 2024
Workout: Conditioning + abs, 0535-0625 (50 minutes)
(Inspired by) Brass Monkey WOD - AMRAP, 20 minutes
8 25-yard shuttle runs
10 20-inch step-ups - 2x25 lbs
8 clean & press - 95 lbs
Rounds: 3 + 0
V-grip cable crunch - 50 lbs - 10, 10, 10, 10
V-up - BW - 8, 8, 8, 8
Plank - max time - 60s, 60s
Fasted.
Planks suck.
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Yes they do but someone here has to do them for us all 
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Morgan’s PPL/A - w1d6
Friday - 13 September 2024
Workout: Pull, 0525-0620 (55 minutes)
Begin: 0535; End: 0614; Duration: 39 minutes
a) Lat pulldown - 90x12, 100x10, 105x8, 105x6, 90x(8+4)
b1) Supinated BB row - 95 lbs - 10, 10, 10, 10
b2) Rear delt cable pull - 20 lbs - 10, 10, 10, 10
c) One-arm row - L/R - 45x12, 45x10, 45x8; 35x12
d) DB curl 21s - 20x(7/2) → 15x(5/7), 12x(7/7/7), 10x(7/7/7)
Fasted.
Embarrasingly light weights, particularly because I started too heavy on the lat pulldowns and the one-arm rows, but I put in real effort and the MMC was (mostly) there throughout.
Oh, and DB curl 21s suck. The pump was debilitating. Not painful, just debilitating: “I’m totally contracting my bicep, why isn’t the weight moving!?!”
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I haven’t seen anyone do these in a long time (mind you I only ever see training that’s posted to this site, joys of home gym). I was thinking of throwing some extra curls in to my training somewhere, because my arms suck, maybe a set of 21s at the end of a couple of sessions a a week might be the ticket, old school method for old school guns!
Good to see you back at it!
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Morgan’s PPL/A - w1d7
Saturday - 14 September 2024
Workout: Conditioning, 0715-0755 (40 minutes)
Burpees + KB swings - 32 kg - 2x(25 + 25)
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 20 minutes
Fasted.
That’s Week 1 done—and I hated every minute of it!
But I hated it less than seeing myself in the mirror these days, so we’re on the right track, at least.
PPL/B starts tomorrow!
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I see you’re doing fasted training. I know some like that and thrive with it, but have you tried having some calories? For me, I can do fasted SS cardio, but anything intense - be it strength training or conditioning - needs calories, sometimes both pre- and intra-. Not only to be able to push it harder, but for recovery.
That said - awesome work!
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@alex_uk - Thanks for that, mate! I think we’d all prefer to love training—or at least we’d prefer to train from a positive mental state—but the fact is, I fell far enough during my “break” that the hatred and self-loathing finally kicked in. So yes: I’m letting the hate flow through me!
@antiquity - Thanks for the question, my friend! Most of my training this year has been “semi-fasted,” which means I drank about one serving of Surge throughout my workouts. That was enough to keep the intensity up without trying to cram in some kind of solid food so early in the morning (and dealing with nausea during the workout).
But I gained so much fat during my time away—and I’m not just saying that: I actually got so fat I’m too embarrassed to post my “before” pics from last week—I’ve decided to do a PSMF for about six weeks (until my vacation in late October). I’ll monitor my energy levels carefully, and increase my food intake or re-introduce Surge if necessary, but for now, it’s fasted training FTW.
And that’s a great segue into this next bit, which I’ve been meaning to post all week. Here’s what a typical day looked like in Week 1:
Pre-workout - 10 oz black coffee
Post-workout - 5 g creatine, Omega-Man, Carbolin-19
“Breakfast” - 2 scoops of Metabolic Drive in 6 oz of water
“Lunch” - 2 scoops of Metabolic Drive in 6 oz of water
Dinner - lots of meat, a veggie, and 8 oz milk
I say “breakfast” and “lunch” because the timing there is approximate and depends on my daily meeting schedule. I’ve also limited myself to one cup of milk at dinner—otherwise it’s just water and black coffee throughout the day.
I’m also taking Flameout, DFiX, psyllium fiber, and the Thorne Stress B-Complex and Stress Balance supplements with dinner, and Thorne PharmaGABA-250 about an hour before bed. (The Thorne stuff is part of their Stress Management Bundle—the jury’s still out on whether or not it’s effecitive.)
I’ve managed to keep my coffee intake down to three 10-oz cups throughout the day (though I probably have a bit more at the weekend), and I try to cut it off by about 1500 each day.
I realized on Friday I’m probably not getting even just 1g of protein per lb bodyweight, so I’ll be introducing a third 2-scoop Metabolic Drive shake this week. Even so, hunger hasn’t been an issue and I’m feeling good.
So that’s that. I’ll eventually post the “before” pics, I think, but for now I just need to focus on consistent effort and nutrition—consistency has been harder for me this year than at any time over the past several years—and it’s consistency that will bring the physique changes I want more than anything else.
Onward and upward!
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Morgan’s PPL/B - w2d1
Sunday - 15 September 2024
Workout: Conditioning, 0620-0700 (40 minutes)
Burpees + KB swings - 32 kg - 2x(25 + 25)
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 20 minutes
Fasted.
Spent almost 12 hours working on our deck yesterday, and I’ll be doing the same today. Had that third Metabolic Drive shake, too, and I think it made a difference: I’m stiff and sore, to be sure, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it normally is the day after lots and lots of manual labor that I’m not used to…
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save it for next years transformation starting pic. LOL
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